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Music Lesson Reviews from Students

Students are raving about their Music instructors on TakeLessons.
Check out some of these recent reviews.

Review by RUTH

"Very satisfied with the first day lessons. It was as expected. Thank you."

Cincinnati, OH teacher:
Victor K.

Review by Mele

"My daughter has been taking voice lessons for a few years and is fairly advanced in her ability and technique. We were crushed when her voice teacher (a s

ought after University vocal Director) moved out of state, and we found ourselves in the market for a new teacher. We were beyond pleased to find Chris as her new vocal coach. He has helped my daughter fine-tune her vocal tone quality, expand her musicality, and overall take her singing ability to a new level. His professionalism is a breath of fresh air; he's always on time and has a fantastic demeanor. We would highly recommend!"

...

Austin, TX teacher:
Chris A.

Review by Kris

"No need for a money back guarantee!

Brandon is a great guitar and music theory teacher. He has helped me through the most difficult songs I can think of

and is also very very very patient. If you feel like you shouldn't take lessons from him because it will be hard through Skype, YOU THOUGHT WRONG. Brandon is a computer whiz and knows how to do almost anything on it. Even though you see a money back guarantee sign on his home page, there is no need for one because i guarantee you're going to like him."

...

San Diego, CA teacher:
Brandon B.

Review by Richard

"Elicia is terrific, very talented, and works great with my 8 yr old son"

Philadelphia, PA teacher:
Elicia R.

Review by PATTY

"STEVE HAS EXCELLENT SKILLS.

STEVE IS NOT ONLY A WONDERFUL INSTRUCTOR BUT ALSO A VERY NICE AND CARING PERSON.WHEN I GET DISCOURAGED HE KNOWS THE RIGHT WOR

DS TO SAY TO PICK ME UP AND GET ME BACK ON TRACK.HE IS A GREAT MUSICIAN,KNOWS THE BANJO VERY WELL.HE GIVES ME VERY CLEAR EXERCISES TO PRACTICE EACH WEEK AND ENCOURAGES ME TO FOLLOW THRU.I AM VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE STEVE FOR MY INSTRUCTOR. I'M SO GLAD I CHOSE TAKE LESSONS TO FIND A TEACHER FOR THE BANJO."

...

Miami, FL teacher:
Steve G.

Review by Colleen

"A great experience!

I highly recommend Marni for voice lessons. She is an extremely talented teacher in both the mechanics and creative aspects of singin

g. Often, she explains concepts to me in a visual manner because it is familiar to me (I have experience in visual art). I'm amazed at how much I've improved my vocal range/quality in a short time, and how much more comfortable I feel when I sing (both physical comfort and improved confidence). Marni is a gifted artist who will help you find your unique singing voice."

...

New York, NY teacher:
Marni G.

Review by Nicole

"Excellent teacher

Kristen is always on time and prepared for my daughters lessons. She knows how to engage my 7 year old and keep her learning while stil

l making lessons fun. My daughter enjoys her lessons and has been progressing nicely. Kristen is very accomplished and skilled at teaching violin."

...

San Francisco, CA teacher:
Kristen K.

Review by Kevin

"Dave is excellent.

Dave is excellent. He is extremely knowledgeable and is a great instructor for any level of skill from beginner to virtuoso. I highly

recommend Dave to anyone looking to begin/improve as a musician."

...

Boston, MA teacher:
David H.

Review by La Donna

"A really patient and tolerant teacher.La Vonne is very methodical yet thorough in her approach. She will definitely ensure that you are well prepared to

succeed on your exams. Nothing is too much for her to do for her students."

Thomas D.

About Thomas

My musical life began during the "folk boom" of the 1960's. I began songwriting and performing during my high school years. Later I was a member of a folk-rock band called The Bean Angels. We preformed and recorded in the Iowa City, Iowa area. Later I attended Montana State University where I studied music education. My training included: piano skills, music theory, music history, aural perception, conducting, and vocal pedagogy. I have several decades experience in teaching. I have taught guitar, piano, voice, and ukulele, and have directed a children's choir.

*** Lesson Details **

*I believe that each individual has his or her own particular learning style and pace. Accordingly I try to tailor my instruction to best fit the individual student. The first lessons will emphasize such things as posture and holding the instrument correctly, thus establishing a solid foundation to build on. Although I will assign exercises that are designed to build technique, I believe that creative musical expression is the true goal and that technique is just a means to that end.

*** Studio Equipment ***Music room with instruments, keyboard, computer, and recording. Parents can sit in on lessons, and waiting area available.

*** Specialties ***I am probably most proficient in folk and classical styles of guitar. I have some degree of competency in country, rock and roll, gospel, and jazz styles.

...

Reviews

Ginny H. October 29, 2014 Verified Student

I've been taking ukulele lessons from Tom for about 2 months and have just added voice lessons. Tom is a very thoughtful, kind man. He has a great deal of knowledge about the theoretical and practical/performance aspects of instruction. He is also excellent at adapting his lessons to my own particular goals. What more could you want!

paul V S. November 16, 2013
Piano Verified Student

What a great experience for our family!

In August, our 7 yr. old daughter, Nathalie, started piano lessons with Thomas. She played her first Christmas carol here in early November! Thomas is a wonderful instructor! Undertstanding, warm, and very patient! I highly recommend his services!!

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Thomas D.

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Thomas D.

Greenbelt, MD 20770

(2)

starting at

$30
/ 30-min

Adrienne I.

About Adrienne

Adrienne is a native of Detroit, who recently graduated with a Master's Degree in Opera from the University of Maryland Opera Studio. Before pursuing that degree, she graduated with honors from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance and a Teaching Certificate in K-12 Vocal Music. She has been full time music teacher in a Montessori Academy, an Associate Instructor of Voice at the International School of Music in Bethesda, MD, and has over 10 years of professional experience working with students all ages. Most recently, she had the distinct honor of creating

the role of Marva Trotter in the World Premiere of "Shadowboxer," based on the life of legendary boxer, Joe Louis. Other recent performances include the role of Ramiro in Mozart’s "La finta giardiniera" with the Maryland Opera Studio; the title role in Bizet's "Carmen," and winning First Place in the Adrian Boyer Aria Competition at the Bay View Music Festival. She placed first in both the Local and District levels of the 2006 NANBWPC Voice Competition (formerly the “Leontyne Price Competition”) and went on to compete at the National Level. Since the summer of 2007, Adrienne has performed extensively on some of the most infamous European stages as the Strawberry Woman in Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" under the auspices of New York Harlem Productions. She is currently performing with the Washington National Opera, and recently made her solo role debut in Puccini's "Manon Lescaut." Though her training and professional singing career focus is opera, she prides herself on her versatility as a performer who can effortlessly navigate between the demands gospel, musical theatre and pop genres. She also enjoys sharing the secrets to great singing and holds thee ability to teach all styles of singing.

*** Lesson Details ***My philosophy behind teaching has a lot to do with being physically involved in music making. I believe one needs to use one's whole body to support good singing. I'm very much into using movements to help students learn to move their breath through to create sound. I teach classical vocal technique as the basis for all styles. I teach proper breath support in order to build a strong, healthy vocal sound. After months of working with me, students will have a very strong grasp of proper breathing for singing and how to support their sound with their whole body.

*** Studio Equipment ***keyboardmusic standsfree open space

*** Travel Equipment ***I have a portable piano keyboard

*** Specialties ***Classical technique as a foundation for all singing.Everything begins with breathall singing is about connection--connecting to breath, to music, and to audience

...

Reviews

Jacob R. March 24, 2015
Singing ·
In home Verified Student

Adrienne is an excellent voice teacher that I’d highly recommend to anyone who wants to improve their singing voice or learn how to sing. I have a background in playing guitar and electronic music production but have always wanted to add singing to my musical skill set, and Adrienne has been very helpful in achieving my goals. She has a deep knowledge of the theory and technique of singing and does a great job explaining concepts that are often very abstract and difficult to grasp. She is always positive which helps boost my confidence in my voice, while at the same time she never allows me to sing lazily or with improper technique. In addition she is a fun person to work with and is always professional with scheduling lessons. With her help I’ve discovered a side of my voice I never knew I had!

MJ H. February 20, 2015
Singing ·
In home Verified Student

Adrienne met my expectatons.

Benee D. April 8, 2014
Singing Verified Student

Very encouraging teacher

I started taking lessons with Adrienne to become more comfortable with my voice and to learn real singing techniques. She has been extremely helpful. I love her enthusiasm when teaching I can tell she loves it. Adrienne is great at identifying my specific needs and getting me to a place I didn't even know I was capable of.

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Adrienne I.

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Adrienne I.

Greenbelt, MD 20770

(6)

starting at

$40
/ 30-min

Mayumi G.

About Mayumi

American jazz saxophonist and composer Charlie Parker said, Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. This sentiment shaped my views on music and its performance. One of my great pleasures in life is sharing an appreciation of music.

I had always been a part of music. My father played trumpet, my mother could play guitar and carry a tune. They believed music was an important part of life so they started me on piano at 5 years old. And I've been playing that ever since. I started learning to sing in my middle school c

horus when I was 11 years old. I really liked it and I liked it more when I would sing my mother and father's favorite songs and see them smile. So I listened to a lot of singers and vocalists that they liked and learned by emulating them and applying what I was learning in chorus. My piano lessons helped grasp the theory behind music and gave me a good ear for pitches.

I studied voice at the University of Maryland College Park School of Music. In their chorus I had the pleasure of learning and performing many wonderful pieces such as Verdis Requiem and St. Matthew's Passion. During that time I had chance of playing with the University Jazz Band as both their pianist and as their jazz singer. I even arranged my own version of Too Darn Hot by Cole Porter that was performed by the band in 2007.

I also work a lot with musical theatre. I've been in a number of shows in Maryland including Rent and Hairspray, and Into the Woods. I also free lance as a music director in the area. I've been a music director for 10 years and I love every minute of it. My music director credits include Children of Eden, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Annie, Grease, My Fair Lady, A Chorus Line, 42nd Street, And the World Goes Round, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Wizard of Oz, Jekyll & Hyde for which I was nominated for Outstanding Musical Direction in 2011 and Ragtime for which I was named one of the "Best of 2013: Favorite Musical Direction" by DC Metro Arts and won WATCH Award for Outstanding Musical Direction.

I believe that to get as good as you want to be, of course you have to work at it, but there's no reason that you can't enjoy learning it.Thanks for stopping by and I hope to be able to teach you soon.Mayumi G.

*** Lesson Details ***Practice makes perfunk. This is a saying that was always hanging on my band teacher's door in high school. It was a reminder that it requires work to get something right, but you need to take breaks and relax a bit too. That's how I feel about teaching in general. Constantly working and being worried about getting it just right can lead to bad habits. So I make sure that the lesson is balanced between a relaxed atmosphere and an effective working environment.

I can teach a variety of styles. But I like to always make sure that the fundamentals of singing are solid regardless of whether you want to sing classical or jazz or pop. So I go into:Proper techniques for breathingCreating good tonal soundsDiction

I believe that singers have a greater advantage if they are able to read music and understand theory. I believe that it makes learning music by oneself much easier as well. So I also have the option to go into basic music theory (i.e. reading music notation and rhythms) to advance music theory(i.e. roman numeral analysis, ear training, harmonic progression) if you choose to do so.

For intro to piano, I follow the same structure as beginning singers and also start with the fundamental basics that will help lead into whatever style you wish to play:How to read musicUnderstanding basic music theoryhow to play what you readFinger strengthening

For both piano and singing: After some basic training, I start to give a variety of different style songs to work with. I do encourage student to bring songs they want to learn and tailor lessons around that particular song and style. I like them to learn 2 songs per lesson increasing to 3 or 4 depending on the pace of the student and the amount of workload they feel they are able to handle.

I do believe that listening to music is part of the learning process so every few weeks or so I like to give the student 1 or 2 YouTube clips I found and have them watch it then come in the next week and we discuss the video both good and bad and what they can learn from it.

As they progress the songs get more difficult and we start really honing in on the techniques of the production of sound as well as performance aesthetics, as in how to create a presence on stage, how to project the sound more, overall how to give a good performance.

Some of my past students would use the lesson time to learn about auditioning for musicals and stage productions. If the student has any such desire all they have to do is ask and I will set aside time to work on how to audition for shows and what most music directors look for when they hear you sing. For those who don't, I like to give the option to give a recital if the student feels comfortable to do so. It would be held in a local studio, very casual affair just to give the student that experience of music as a performing art.

Note: I do teach at my home. I do have pets, 3 guinea pigs and a cat. If this is an issue, I can also travel to the student home.

*** Travel Equipment ***Teaching piano: I own a weighted keyboard suitable for instruction.Teaching voice: I can accompany the student as they sing

*** Specialties ***In piano I tend to teach classical, but I do move away from that after they've grasped the basic technique and theory to how to sight read and improvise, even play by ear.

In voice, I start with basic classical technique and after they've grasped the fundamentals of good vocal production, branch out into different styles of music from straight classical/opera to Broadway to jazz to pop and r&b.

...

Reviews

Bettyaita R. June 29, 2015
Singing ·
In studio Verified Student

She is a great instructor.We look forward to each lesson!

Aylin O. June 27, 2015
Piano ·
In home Verified Student

The first lesson was awesome! Can't wait for the next one. Thanks!

Skyler P. June 16, 2015
Piano ·
In home Verified Student

My granddaughter took to her immediately. She definitely knows how to handle a 6 yr. old. She was nice and patient with her. Skyler appeared to adapt to her teaching style.

Wilma Evangeline B.

Wilma Evangeline B.

Randy W.

About Randy

I graduated the University of Houston in 1985 with a degree in Music Education specializing in percussion. Whether symphonic, pop-rock, rudimental, Scottish, Celtic or world styles I am proficient and hope to be your instructor. I have taught privately for 30 years, been a band director, performer, including producing 10 albums with my band - The Rogues - and was a member of the Hamilton Pipe Band in Houston when they were the first bagpipe band from the United States to win the World Pipe Band Competition in Grade 3. I also have experience as a drum and bugle corps instructor.

...

Reviews

Donna July 20, 2015
Bodhran ·
In studio

I've had the privilege of being Randy's Bodhran student. He has a gift for understanding how to construct the lessons around his students abilities so they can grasp the concept and skill needed to move forward in their lessons.

I was very nervous as I had never played any type of drum before but his ability to set his students at ease was apparent from lesson one.

I highly recommend Randy as an instructor.

Deb June 30, 2015
Bodhran ·
In studio

I met Randy many years ago when he was playing with the Rogues at the MD Renfest. He is a great teacher and taught me some bodhran basics in the little spare time he had between shows. He is very patient and encouraging. If you are interested in learning the bodhran, dumbek, djembe or full kit, I highly recommend that you seek him out.

Pam June 30, 2015
Bodhran ·
In home

Being an older student with a different learning curve than younger students, Randy tailored my lessons to meet my special needs. He was patient beyond expectations when I was having trouble grasping a difficult concept. He is a true professional and dedicated to passing on his musical knowledge. I had to stop taking lessons for a while due to a broken arm, but I plan on continuing them in the future.

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